Chinese Language Books, Mandarin Audio CDs for Self Study

1. Chinese (Mandarin) Instant Conversational Language, Audio CD by Pimsleur This package contains sixteen lessons that will get you started speaking today! Simply listen, follow the instructions, and then respond out loud, just as you would in an actual conversation. Complete one lesson each day, in consecutive order. When you've finished this program, you'll be thrilled to realize you can hold a real conversation in Chinese Mandarin.

2. Chinese (Mandarin) : 2nd Ed. (Quick & Simple), Audio CD by Pimsleur This program offers a lot of value. It is one of the best audio Chinese programs you can buy in its price category. Learn at your own pace, comfortably and conveniently.

3. Chinese for Beginners: Mastering Conversational Chinese by Yi Ren and Xiayuan Liang, Paperback with Audio CD, 192 pages, Publisher: Tuttle Publishing This user-friendly guide to learning the basics will work for anyone who wants to speak and understand Chinese for business, for pleasure, or for travel. It’s light-hearted lessons are designed around useful conversations and the words are explained in terms of how you’ll actually use them. The audio CD is recorded by native Mandarin speakers and lets you listen and repeat and remember the sentences with ease.

4. Learning Chinese Characters: A Revolutionary New Way to Learn and Remember the 800 Most Basic Chinese Characters by Alison and Laurence Matthews, Paperback, 384 pages, Publisher: Tuttle Publishing This book helps students to learn and remember both the meanings and the pronunciations of over 800 characters. This otherwise daunting task is made easier by the use of techniques based on the psychology of learning and memory. key principles include the use of visual imagery, the visualization of short "stories," and the systematic building up of more complicated characters from basic building blocks. It’s logical sequence and novel approach allows for virtually any character to be learned using this method.

5. Behind the Wheel Chinese (Mandarin), Level 1: Learn to Speak Mandarin Chinese Quickly and Easily! (8 One Hour CDs) by Mark Frobose, Audio CD, Publisher: Language Dynamics Takes the learner from basic to intermediate level Mandarin without much of the guesswork usually associated with language learning. An expert English speaking instructor talks you through these tapes in English while 2 trained professional native Mandarin speakers teach you Chinese the way it is really spoken. You will also learn to speak in the past, present and future along with idioms.

6. Mandarin Chinese Dictionary: English-Chinese by Fred Fangyu Wang, Paperback: 802 pages, Publisher: Dover Publications Compact and structure-oriented, this English-Chinese dictionary is part of a two-volume set developed for elementary students of Chinese. Along with its companion volume, a Chinese-English dictionary, this reference was devised for use in high schools and colleges to facilitate both comprehension and reproduction of the Chinese language. Compiled by an expert lexicographer, these dictionaries draw upon the best traditions in Chinese- and English-language learning, with particular emphasis on syntactic structure, functional elements such as particles, and idiomatic expressions.

7. Chinese-English Frequency Dictionary: A Study Guide to Mandarin Chinese's 500 Most Frequently Used Words by Yong Ho, Paperback: 240 pages, Publisher: Hippocrene Books This book is not simply a dictionary of the 500 most common characters (simplified, like in the PRC). For each character, its main senses (or meanings) and usages are listed and explained in a clear and plain manner, with very appropriate (and simple) examples. It was almost like a grammar review of all basic Chinese, but organized by characters rather than some arbitrary "simple to complicated" sequence like you'd find in a typical textbook.

8. Easy Chinese Mandarin, Level I (Includes Easy Chinese Tutor CD-ROM and Easy Chinese Basic Text & Workbook) by Edward C. Chang, Paperback: 192 pages, Publisher: Emnes Systems Learn Mandarin Chinese at home or on the go with the most complete, up-to-date program available! Developed by the experts at Living Language, this deluxe course has everything you need to speak and understand Mandarin Chinese, with sections that will help you begin to read and write Chinese characters. Combines conversation with grammar and culture in an easy-to-follow, enjoyable, and effective format.

9. Ultimate Chinese (Mandarin): Basic-Intermediate: Cassette/Book Package by Jennifer Humphries, Audio Cassette, Publisher: Living Language Easy Chinese (Mandarin, Level 1) is a self-study course designed for anyone interested in learning the Chinese language using a step-by-step-approach. The program includes a book (Easy Chinese: Basic Text and Workbook) and a CD-ROM (Easy Chinese Tutor). The Easy Chinese Self-Study Program is most appropriate for those who want to learn the Chinese language on their own with the help of a computer; it is also intended for those who are enrolled in a regular class as an enrichment or a tutorial program.